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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25273957">the thought of us can make the time go by</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/pastelcandies/pseuds/pastelcandies'>pastelcandies</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>RWBY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Agender Emerald Sustrai, Alternate Universe - High School, F/F, Fluff without Plot, One Shot</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 08:27:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>845</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25273957</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/pastelcandies/pseuds/pastelcandies</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ruby glances in the notebook Emerald left behind, and finds some interesting notes.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gemcutters, Gemstones - Relationship, Ruby Rose/Emerald Sustrai</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>33</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>the thought of us can make the time go by</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>title taken from “walk but in a garden” by Llusion and mxmtoon</p>
<p>Emerald is agender and uses they/them pronouns</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Emerald sighed, absent-mindedly doodling in their notebook. Rainbows and jewels and people holding hands and what they would, scowling and suppressing a blush, insist was just calligraphy practice. Deaf to the teacher’s droning voice - the fact of which caused Weiss to give them a pointed look, which they chose to ignore - they added green accents to half the words bordering the page, and red to the other half. Just as they started on a new doodle, a basket of roses, the bell rang. Stretching their arms behind them, Emerald yawned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“You alright there, Em?” a familiar sweet voice piped next to them. Emerald jumped at the sudden noise, suddenly very conscious of the notebook in their hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Hey Ruby.” They gave her a half-smile, carefully placing the notebook on their desk so they couldn’t drop it and it wouldn’t pop open and Ruby couldn’t see their drawings and-</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Hi! Really though, are you okay? You seemed kinda out of it during class.” Ruby seemed nervous, rubbing the back of her neck.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Yeah, just distracted. Thanks though.” Ruby beamed at them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“That’s great! Also, I wanted to know if-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Emerald. We’re running late.” Weiss tapped their shoulder. “Hi, Ruby.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“What’s up, ice queen?” With an annoyed sigh, Weiss grabbed a snickering Emerald and dragged them behind her as she left.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Emerald! Wait! You forgot your notebook!” Ruby snatched the green book off the desk and stood on her tiptoes trying to see which way the two had gone, to no avail. She shrugged. “Guess I’ll have to hang onto this for now.” Hugging her red hoodie more tightly around herself, she walked off to study hall, unconsciously wearing a bright smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Mind wandering off as her brain refused to concentrate, she glanced at the green notebook in her bag. It couldn’t hurt to look at some of the drawings, right? Emerald had shown her their art before, it was stunning. She removed the notebook, rubbing her fingers on the soft forest green cover before opening it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>The first few pages were ordinary enough. Notes scribbled in messy handwriting with only small doodles in the margins; jewels and scythes and outlines of faces. As the pages continued, the amount of notes began to slightly decrease, replaced with the artwork. One page was dedicated to an exquisitely detailed drawing of a girl holding a rose over one of her eyes, the thorns bloodying her fingers. Another seemed to be a fantasy version of Emerald themself, holding a pair of guns with long curved blades. Ruby smiled as she perused the notebook, pausing as familiar words caught her eye on a page she had assumed was just more notes. Her eyes widened as she read what the delicate calligraphy writing was saying.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Ruby</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Ruby and Emerald</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The action was so silly and sweet, so out of character for Emerald, and that combined with the words written was enough for a deep blush to rise on her cheeks. Her heart was racing and she had to pretend to cough so she could hide her blushing face in her hoodie sleeve and muffle her giggling. Her blush became hotter as she proceeded through the rest of the notebook, finding many drawings of herself, sometimes Ruby and Emerald together, and more of their names in cursive; occasionally a page had red and green hearts in the corner.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you alright, Ruby?” Blake’s calm voice floated over to her, jerking her out from where she was lost in the notebook.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah! Definitely! I’m going to the bathroom.” Ruby stood up, begging the flush on her face to go away, with no results.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As she walked away, she giggled quietly to herself, alone in the halls where no one could see her. Naturally, she had to run into someone very specific.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Ruby.” Emerald half-smiled, rubbing the back of their neck nervously. “Have you seen my notebook?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hi! Yeah, I grabbed it after you left so I could give it to you next time I saw you.” Dear god, why couldn’t her face stop warming?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, you did?” They answered lightly, still with a note of apprehension in their tone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yep.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two stared at each other in silence with pink cheeks and racing hearts and minds.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You didn’t happen to look inside, did you?” Emerald murmured, their hand moving to cover their mouth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ruby giggled, unable to suppress it. “I might’ve taken a peek.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Emerald groaned and buried their face in their hands, while Ruby dissolved completely into laughter. They couldn’t help but uncover their eyes at this; Ruby’s eyes were full of mirth and listening to her laugh was pure delight. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Emerald opened their mouth to apologize, thoroughly embarrassed, but before they said anything Ruby cut them off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you want to go to that cafe near here after this?” She asked, eyes bright, tone full of hopefulness, and cheeks still an exquisite shade of pink. Emerald lost their breath for a few moments, thoughts short-circuited.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah. That’d be great.” They murmured, turning their face to the side to hide their blush. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>find me on tumblr, @red-like-roses, and discord, winter#0972 🖤</p></blockquote></div></div>
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